Signaling device



Feb. 2, 1937. s. M. ROBERTS SIGNALING DEVICE .F'iled Dec. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Seward M. Roberts macm F 2, 1931. s. M. ROBERTS 6 S IGNALING DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 54- 3vwc/wtoo F1: 7 Sewird M.Robzr ts arm Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATS ATET OFFICE SIGNALING DEVICE Seward M. Roberts, Maplewood, N. J.

Application December 18, 1933, Serial No. 702,987

5 Claims.

I Another object of my invention is the provision of a direction signaling device for automobiles, which is of such construction and adapted to be so mounted that the direction in which the driver of the automobile intends to turn is simultaneously indicated both to the front and to the rear of the automobile.

A further major object of the present invention is the provision of a direction signaling device for automobiles adapted to be mounted within the vehicle body adjacent the line of sight between the rear view mirror and the rear window whereby it is visible through the rear window of the automobile, whereby it will indicate a desired change in direction both to the front and to the rear of the automobile, and whereby the device itself will serve as a pilot light to keep the driver informed as to the operating condition thereof.

Another very important object of the invention is the provision of a signaling device comprising an open casing having indices visible therethrough, and an end cap for the casing carrying a lamp adapted to rest within the casing and illuminate the indices upon application of the cap to the casing.

A further important object of the present invention is to devise a cylindrical direction indicator having a central transverse partition dividing it into right and left chambers, and lamps disposed in the respective chambers for completing right and left turn signals. In this connection, it is an object to carry the lamps on readily removable end caps for the chambers, thus facilitating assembly and lamp replacement.

Another major object of my invention is to form a direction indicator from a casing having a pair of liners disposed on opposite sides of a lateral partition, the partition being loose and free With respect to the casing and held in posi tion within the latter by contact with the inner or adjacent ends of the liners.

Another object is to devise novel and improved mountings and wiring arrangements for signal .lamps.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel form of mounting means for supporting a direction signaling device.

With these objects in view, as well as others as will become apparent from the following 5- closure, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a rear View mirror and a direction signaling device jointly supported by a bracket adapted for connection with the body of an automobile above the windshield.

Figure 2 is an end View thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through 5- the cylindrical indicating member of the signaling device. 7

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View on line i4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit into which the lamps of the device are connected.

Figure 6 is an end View of the shell showing a modified means for holding the end caps in 5 position.

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view'taken centrally and vertically through the device of Figure 6. v

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view, with one of the end caps removed and shown in perspective, of a device similar to that of Figure 1 but embodying modifications in certain of the parts.

Figure 9 is an end view of one end of the signal casing of Figure 8, as seen when looking upon the plane of line 9, Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the modified device of Figure 8, with a substituted form of mounting for positioning it in the rear window of a vehicle body.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a bracket which forms the substituted mounting means of Figure 10.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are employed throughout to designate 45 like parts, Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, have been carried forward from my above mentioned copending application without any structural changes. These old forms accordingly will be described first.

With particular reference for the moment to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, numeral l0 designates a bracket which comprises a pair of bars H and I2 whose inner ends are overlapped and provided withaligned apertures throughwhich extends '55 against and secured tothe front faces oi bars I and I2 is a plate l whichcomprises laterally et I0 which in turn can'be secured in position by ,which; as shownin Figure land Figure 3, is proa bolt 3 provided with nuts I 4 engaging opposite facesof bars H and I2. The bars II and |2 diverge. outwardly from their connected inner ends and are each provided with an elongated slot |4' adjacent the outer end'thereof. Resting projecting ears l6 and a downwardly extending tongue -Ears l6 are apertured for the reception of bolts 8 which extend through slots' I4 and which serve for attachingbracket If! ,to the top cross bar of an open car as shown in Figure 7 or to the body above the windshield in a closed car. The provision of slots M and piv-' oted connection provided by bolt |3 permits ready adjustment of bracket I0 whereby anymirror which has been in use can be supported by brackthe same screws or bolts formerly used in their same positions. Tongue I1 is provided with opposite forwardly projecting flanges I!) which are in turn provided with transversely aligned, vertically extending slots 20. 1 r

Disposed between flanges I9 is a pivot block 2| which istransversely apertured for reception of a bolt 22 adapted toxextend through slots 20 for;,pivotally and adjustabl'y securing block 2! between flanges l9. Block 2| is further provided 'with a vertical apertureforreception of a bolt 23 which also extends throughvertically spaced .flanges 24'engaging opposite faces of-block 2| brought into engagement to receive bolt |3which connects the inner ends "of bars H and I2 as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The clip member is;

accordingly connected with the bars II and |2 for pivotal movement relative thereto. Engaged by clip 29 is a cylindrical indicating member 3| comprising an open ended cylindricalshell 32 vided with cut out portions at opposite sides thereof defining a pair of,,broken arrows 33 and 34 in each opposite sidethereof, arrow 33 pointing to the left and arrow 34 pointing to. the right. 7

Removably and loosely disposed within the shell 32 is a partition 35 which is retained in position centrally of the length of shell '32 by engagement therewith-of the adjacent ends of removable cylindrical transparent members 36 whose opposite ends terminate flush with the opposite ends of shell 32. s

Removably disposed between members 36 and shell 32 and co-extensive with members 36 is a pair of cylindrical light screens 31, each of which is preferably formed by rolling a rectangular piece of suitable paper into cylindrical form and entering it into shell 32 with the corresponding member 36. t r

The screens 31 are adapted to provide any desired color of light and eliminate excessive brightness of the light.

The cylindrical members 36 may be so constructed as to diffuse the light and'avoid excessive glare or brightness and may also be suchlas to provide, any desired color of light, in which event the screens 31 may be dispensed with.

Preferably, however, both sets of sleeves 36and i 31 are used so that one of them will impart color to the transmitted light while the other willpre vent the'indices from being too'plainly visible when the lamps are unlighted.

The ends of shell 32 are closed by means of removable; caps 38, each of which is provided with a. marginal'flange 39 for engagement with the outer face of shell 32. Each cap 38 isfcentrally apertured for reception of a screw bolt 4| which extends through an aperture in a diametrically extending strip 42 disposed in engagement with the inner face of cap .38 and providedwith: a yieldable extension 43 adapted to rest between in engagement with 'shell 32.

ing'bracket 45 and'apair of insulating washers 46 engage bolt 4| on opposite faces of cap 38 and leg 44. A suitable light-.41 is detachably supported by each bracket 45 and a yieldable .con-.

"flange 39 and shell 32to yieldably hold cap38 The bolt 4| fur ther extends through a leg 44 of a lightretain tact member 48is-supported by each bolt 4| in engagement with the inner insulating washer-46 adapted to engage the contact point 4970f light 41. Each bolt 4| is provided with nuts'5 adapted to be turned-up against outer insulatingwasher;

'45 to securely bindstrip 42, bracket, and contact member 48in engagement with cap 38; .;It'-

will be noted that broken-arrows133 and 34 pro vide considerable space between .the heads and bodies thereof'which prevents a glare from lights:

41 to properly diffuse the light.

The bracket I0 is adapted to be suitably supported from the upper transverse member of. any

windshield frame of aclosed vehicle body, or. to the front cross member of a wooden top frame by means of screws or other suitable securing elements engaging the upper aperturedends of bars II and 2, and the lights 41 are controlled by means of any suitable switch '50 under automatic control or under manual control of the operator. These details directly form no part of the present invention and'are 'fully illustrated in the aforementioned vcopending application.

The signaling deviceis wired asindicated in Figure 5, wherein bracket I6 is connected to the positive terminal of a battery 5|. The lights 41 are connectedto corresponding contacts '52 and 53 of switch 50 which is grounded, as'shown, thus completing the circuit through the lights 41 with the negativeterminal ofthe'battery. The cir cuit may be modified in detail in'various ways, as will be readily appreciated. 3

In operation, the. signaling device, together with the mirror 21, is supported in the usual position of a rear view mirror, by connecting the outer; ends of bars Hand l2 of bracket III to the. upper side of the windshield frame, thus positioning the indicating member 3| so thatit is;

visible from the rear of the automobile in which it is mounted through the rear window, and also visible from the front of the automobile through the windshield. V The bracket |0 not only supports the mirror and indicating member within the windshield, but

it provides an adjustment for the mirror through the slots 20 and a two-way pivotal action through bolts 22 and 23 in member 2|, and further provides an adjustable pivotal connection at l3 for the indicating member 3|.

The signaling device supported as above stated,

the switch 50 is suitably disposed-preferably in the form of a manually operable knob .on the gear shift lever as disclosed in my said copending application, and the signaling device and switch connected as above described and diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5.

The driver of the automobile upon intention of making a turn to the left or to theright manipulates the switch in a direction corresponding to that in which he intends to turn, thus closing the circuit through either of the lights 41 to thereby illuminate the arrows at either end of shell 32 and on oppositesides thereof. This will visibly indicate the direction in which the driver intends to turn both from the rear and from the front of the automobile.

The indicating member 3| as clearly shown in Figure 3 consists of relatively few simple parts and is easily and quickly assembled and disassembled. V

In Figures 6 and 7 is disclosed a modified means for holding the end caps in position wherein shell 32 at each end thereof is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite outwardly punched lips 32' adapted to yieldably engage the inwardly converging flanges 39 of end caps 38 to hold the caps in position. 7

Certain makes of automobiles are provided with rear windows which are comparatively small and of such a design that the visibility of the indi cating member 3! suspended from the windshield would be somewhat restricted from the rear, in which cases an additional similar indicating member may be attached inside the rear window at the top and center thereof. A preferred meth" od of making this attachment is illustrated in.

Figures 10 and 11, later to be described.

When employing an additional indicating memher, one set of arrows in each member will be blocked off preferably by inserting a tube within the shell 32 of each indicating member 3| having one side opaque and the other side transparent or translucent, the opaque side blocking off one set of arrows such that right and left arrows will be visible in front from the indicating member suspended from the windshield, and right and left arrows will be visible in the rear from the indicating member attached tothe rear window. It will, of course, be understood that both indicating members will be simultaneously operated by the switch 58, as one of the additional lamps will be included in each branch of the circuit shown in Figure 5 between the battery and one of the contacts 52 or 53.

The signaling device may of course be initially manufactured with indicating arrows on one side only of the casing; and it will further be obvious that the devices may be used in pairs as above stated, or singly at either the windshield or the rear window, regardless of whether or not visible indications are rendered both forwardly and rearwardly. Moreover, the device is capable of use, preferably with slight modifications to render it more perfectly waterproof, in various mounted positions exterior of the vehicle body.

With reference now to Figure 8, which discloses an embodiment involving slight modifications of the signal casing structure above described, the view represents what is preferably the side which faces the windshield. The several involved changes will appear in the following description.

An opaque, preferably metallic, cylinder 5 5 is partitioned centrally as described under Figure l, and provided with cut-out arrows comprising shanks 55 and heads 55 on each side of the partition. A metal clipin the form of a band 5? encircles the central part of the cylinder and is the middle of a flat, horizontal, fibrous cross-arm '60. Equally spaced from the screw 58 is a pair of screw and nut assemblies SI for pivotally connecting the ends of the arm 59 with the lower ends of a pair of bars or links 62. These bars 62 correspond with the bars ll! of Figure l. but rep resent an improvement thereover because their open slots 63 facilitate assembly and adjustment; and because the two-point pivot substituted at the lower ends of the bars 62 for the single-point pivot of Figure 1, provides a more stable support for the cylinder. Furthermore, the fibrous insulating arm 69 permits installationof the device in cars having grounded steel bodies as will be clear from later description of thecircuit.

The cylinder may be mounted with any other suitable means. For example, if the device is to be used in the rear window of the vehicle as in Figure 10, a bracket 54 (see also'Figure lilis substituted for the links 62. The bracket 64 has a flat portion designed to seat horizontally against the under side 56 of the upper part of the mouldin g which surrounds'the rear window glass 67. and

is provided with apertures 68 which permit screws l;

sleeves 12, one in each end of the cylinder, with their adjacent ends abutting the central partition to position the latter. However, as previously indicated, it is preferable to utilize a pair of concentric sleeves in each end of the cylinder,- the outer one of the pair being substantially transparent and having a color closely simulating that of the cylinder so that the arrow will hardly be perceptible when there is no internal illumination, and the inner sleeve being colored translucently for signaling purposes.

The ends of the cylinder are closed by caps 38 which have cylindrical flanges 39 designed to telescope or snap over the cylinder ends with a close friction fit and thus hold the sleeves 12 in position against the central partition. The caps further serve as convenient supports for the lamps 4'! and permit the latter to be very easily replaced, as was also true of the form previously slotted socket 13 having a U-shaped base M; a

pair of insulating washers 15 and 76 receiving the flat bottom of the U-shaped base between them in parallelism with the body of the end cap; a resilient brass conducting strip 11 having one end fitted between washer 1B and the cap' and having its other end in engagement with the conventional central contact element of the lamp; and a screw l8 projecting through the washer '55. the base M, the washer l6 and the central area of the cap to receive a securing nut 19.

A preferred method of selectively supplying current to the lamps is illustrated in Figure 8. A connection from the positive side of the automobile battery to the two strips ll of the lamp mountings may be made with a single wire leading to any point on the cylinder such, for example, as the insulated wire 80 which has its terminal secured to the supporting clip 51 by the nut 59. The other ends of the lamp filaments may be grounded selectively by the switch 50 (Figure 5) ,by virtue of a pair'of insulated wires clips 83. A conduit85, larger than apertures 84,v

' surrounds the wiresoutside the casing but it'is cutback far enough to permit the wires to be ,drawnthrough theapertures until their termi- "nals project out through the cylinder-ends for convenient connection with the clips 83 A further advantage is that the lamps=maythus be very easily replaced. This feature is illustrated at the right end of Figure ,8 where'one of the capsand its bodily carried parts are shown removed as a unit from the cylinder. Theconduit 85 projects downwardly in Figure 8 for clarity of illustration, but preferably in" actual practice willbe pulled up and fastened out of the Way. behind the rear view mirror or along the upper edge of the rear window moulding, as the case may be. p I; v j

,The cutout arrows and the. cap and lamp assemblies are so related and proportioned that,

when thecaps are snapped into place, the lamp filaments will be disposed immediately between opaque side wall portions of the cylinder between the shanks and heads'fof'the arrows. This is 'best illustrated at the left end of Figure 8;

' wherein a filament 86 is so disposed that there V or essential characteristics thereof.

ent embodiments are therefore to be considered in all'respects as illustrative and not restrictive,

8 will be sharply and uniformly outlined.

The invention maybe embodied in other specific forms without departing from'the spirit The presthe scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by' the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended'to be embraced 1 therein.

What is claimed and desired to be securedjb y United States Letters Patent is: e

1. A vehicle signal comprising a tubular casing open at both ends, a partition loosely fitting 2,069,682 1 said casing substantially midway 8 between its ends, a tubular member; in each end of the casing abutting at one end against the partitioma, flanged cap fitting over each endof the casing and holding the tubular members, and means for securing the caps on the casing, said signal also including signaling 'indicia in the casing portions separated by the partition.

2. A vehicle signal comprising a tubular casing open at both ends, a partition loosely fitting said casing substantially midway between its ends,

direction indicating openings in said casing on one end against, the partition, a fianged capfltting over eachend of the casing and holding the each side of said partition, a tubular transparent member in each end of the casing 'abutting at tubular members, and, means for securing the caps on the casing. V

3. A direction signal comprising a {partially J 20.

opaquecasing of substantially uniform crosssec- F tion having a pair of opposed open ends, a transverse'partitionof substantially the same size and 7 7 shape as the cross'sectional area of the casing and therefore freely insertible axially of i the latter, a member fitted in each end of the casing on opposite sides/of the partition and designed to cooperate with the oasingto form signalingindicia, and detachable caps for closing the'open.

ends of the casing, said members each being of such length as to have its-ends abut one of the caps and one side of the partition respectively,ewhereby the loose partition. is maintained in effective position by said members and said caps.

4. In a direction signaling device, an indicating member comprising an openvended, opaque shell having signaling indicia a partition loosely disposed in said shell; a pair of transparent mem bers removably disposed in said shell with their,

adjacent ends in engagement: with said. partition and their opposite ends flush with the opposite ends of said shell; and removable caps each pro-J vided with a light engaged with the opposite ends of said shell. I V

5. In asignaling device of the character dedisposed transversely of the shell with its periphery substantially in continuous contact with the inner surface of. the central part of the shell, a strap encircling the central part of the shell in surrounding relation to said partition, Y

a and means for drawing the ends of the strap together to tighten the latter with respect to I the shell.

SEWARD M. ROBERTS. 

